


Ambassadors

by Kuroeia (Empatheia)



Category: Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-14
Updated: 2009-01-14
Packaged: 2018-10-05 21:58:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10317863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Empatheia/pseuds/Kuroeia
Summary: Sheena and Zelos act as ambassadors to a new world reachable by summon spirit travel. Flynn and Yuri receive them in style. Shenanigans, etc.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For Ikustioa (aoi_tsuki), written after a conversation about how various characters from flagship titles might get along. This combination was too fun to pass up.

Yuri picks at the sleeve of his uniform and makes a subtle face.

 

Flynn notices, of course, and shoots him a glare that usually peels the skin off everyone it's directed at. Yuri's been immune to it for years; things like that are only effective until they get used on you three times a day for everything from speaking out of turn in lessons to folding your socks incorrectly. The shock effect wears off.

 

Rolling his eyes and staring at the ceiling, bored out of his skull, Yuri tries to remember exactly how he ended up at an imperial function, dressed like a captain of the imperial army, pretending to be on the empire's side. It's been years since he walked out and told them all where they could stick their high-handed tactics, and he's pretty sure he proved with the whole Adephagos debacle that he's worth something as a person without being surgically attached to the empire's backside.

 

Flynn understands this. Yuri knows he does. So why the pretense?

 

When asked, Flynn had hurriedly blustered something about 'not wanting to make them uncomfortable' and 'presenting a unified front' and 'factions,' which hadn't really made much sense at all, probably because at the time Flynn had been speaking at approximately ten words per second with his face obscured by several thick layers of fabric, curses scattered in every five words or so when he couldn't find the openings for the sleeves of his uniform.

 

Yuri, personally, is tempted to think Flynn just likes dressing him up.

 

In any case, here he is, about to sit down to dinner with a couple of dignitaries from 'out of country,' though there seems to be something odd about that too.

 

"Here they come," hisses Flynn, "straighten your spine, try to look— Well, don't be a—"

 

Whatever Flynn was going to say is interrupted by the timely arrival of their guests.

 

There are two of them, one man and one woman.

 

The man is the flashiest person Yuri has ever seen, which is saying something because Yuri's travelled with Raven and Judith. His hair is orange, for starters. Yuri is sure the girls of the court could think of a poetic way or six to describe that exact shade, probably involving sunsets and ripe peaches, but basically, it's so orange it nearly glows. His outfit is pink, white, and gold, which reminds Yuri immediately of Estelle's dress, which leads to a mental image of this guy in Estelle's dress, which is really not a productive train of thought at all.

 

The woman isn't much less flashy, having what appears to be a large white bra protruding from her gaping belt-secured top, which drapes over her hips and skin-tight leggings. She, at least, has the decency to be wearing muted shades of purple and have unremarkable dark hair. The expression on her face wipes those small mitigating points out, though, because the man has just said something to her and Yuri has never seen a sardonic smirk done quit the way she is doing it right now. She reminds him of Judith, if Judith were much, much less laid back.

 

They are, Yuri tries not to notice, both remarkably good-looking people.

 

"Good evening, and I bid you welcome to the court of the Empire in Zaphias," says Flynn formally. "We are honoured by your presence."

 

"Well, isn't he a charmer," says the woman, crossing her arms and regarding them with an arched eyebrow and a badly hidden grin.

 

"Hey, now, no flirting," teases the man, and is rewarded with an indelicate elbow to the midriff.

 

Yuri grins. He likes these people already, mostly because a quick sidelong glance tells him Flynn has no idea what to do, and seeing him flustered is always fun.

 

"Er," says Flynn. "I am Commandant Flynn Scifo of the Imperial Army. This is Captain Yuri Lowell."

 

It's funny, reflects Yuri, that his fake rank is several higher than any he ever held while actually in the army.

 

"Sheena Fujibayashi, chief of Mizuho" says the woman, reaching out to shake their hands firmly. It takes them both a minute to figure out what she wants with their hands, and a great deal of effort not to stare when they do understand. They presume it's meant to be some sort of greeting, but it's unfamiliar to them, and strangely intimate. "This moron is Zelos Wilder, formerly the Chosen of Regeneration."

 

"Hey," says Zelos in mock offense, then again, "Hey," in greeting to Yuri and Flynn.

 

"We have prepared an evening repast in the dining hall, if you would just—"

 

Sheena claps her hands once. "Food! Oh, thank the spirits, I haven't eaten properly in weeks."

 

"—Follow me," finishes Flynn lamely, turning stiffly to lead the way down the hallway.

 

"So, where exactly are you from again?" Yuri asks as they walk, curious. He's been all over the world and he's never met anyone like them. Which is saying something; he's met his fair share of strange people, like Yeager, and Cumore, and Duke with his freaky eyes.

 

Zelos scratches his head. "That's kinda hard to explain, truth be told," he confesses ruefully. "If I said 'summon spirits,' would you know what I meant?"

 

"No," replies Yuri truthfully.

 

"Then it's impossible to explain."

 

"Right then," says Yuri. "Soo... how was your trip?"

 

"Crappy," they say in unison.

 

"...Right then," Yuri says again, at a loss for anything more intelligent to say. "So, I hear we're having roast rappig!"

 

*

 

Two hours later, profoundly drunk, Yuri finds himself at the center of a tug-of-war.

 

On one end is Zelos, who seems to have ideas about going off somewhere to have a manly chat, in the shadows, without shirts. Sheena does not seem to disapprove of this, as she's only standing back with her arms crossed and one eyebrow flying high on her forehead. Yuri feels quietly vindicated for wondering about Zelos's sexuality.

 

On the other is Flynn, who is either trying to rescue him or kidnap him for their own manly chat. Yuri can't really tell, and is far too drunk to care which anyway.

 

It's a well-guarded — which, in the army, means "only known to  _ almost _ everyone" — secret that Yuri can't hold his liquor. Flynn certainly knows, which begs the question why he thought it was a good idea to keep refilling Yuri's glass.

 

The room spins madly overhead.

 

"How about we negotiate a truce?" pants Zelos, grinning like a jackal, his grip on Yuri's left arm no less steely for the quantity of good liquor he's downed this evening.

 

"M'not a... uh," says Yuri cleverly, trying to remember the word he's looking for to explain exactly what he is not.

 

"Right," agrees Flynn with whatever it is he almost managed to say, "he's not. He's a grown man with his own free will and he is terribly intoxicated so I must say I think your current conduct is shameless and hardly becoming of an ambassador—"

 

Zelos stares at him in mute amazement. "How is it that despite drinking enough to drown a cow you're still a total stick in the mud?"

 

Flynn, to Yuri's great delight, turns tomato-red and clenches his jaw. "I am not," he says slowly and carefully as though imparting an insight of great wisdom, "a stick in the mud."

 

"Are too," replies Zelos obstinately.

 

"I am not!"

 

"Are too."

 

"Am not!"

 

Unable to help himself, Yuri breaks into peals of laughter and nearly falls of his chair. Startled, Flynn lets go of his arm, and the release of tension sends Yuri rocketing back against Zelos's rather bony chest with not-inconsiderable force. "Ow," he says vaguely. "Leggo my arm."

 

Wheezing, Zelos complies and backs up to rub his wounded torso with a nerveless hand.

 

"For goodness' sake, you're all like little kids," snaps Sheena, not really angry. "Really stupid kids."

 

Finally free, Yuri manages to find his feet and wobbles perilously in her direction. "Now see," he says, looking into her eyes, "if I'm going home with anyone tonight, it's you."

 

In the next few moments Yuri learns several things.

 

First: she has a better right hook even than Judith, which is impressive. Secondly, apparently Sheena is not allowed to do anything with anyone unless Zelos can do it too, preferably at the same time. Third, Yuri is not allowed to go home with anyone without full possession of his faculties and/or Flynn's express permission, which he will not be giving to anyone but himself. Lastly, being punched in the face while extremely drunk is possibly the fastest route to unconsciousness ever invented.

 

The world goes black.

 

*

 

When Yuri wakes, it is to Flynn sitting on a chair two feet from his bed, glaring at him reproachfully.

 

"Don't look at me," Yuri rasps, wondering who wallpapered the inside of his throat with sand. He can feel his heartbeat in his head. It hurts about as much a hammer would. "You were the one with the bottle."

 

"Our guests have left," Flynn informs him, ignoring that excellent point. "You slept through their departure."

 

"Did I sleep with either of them?"

 

"No."

 

Yuri sighs. "Damn."

 

A quick glance at Flynn reveals that the buildup to an apoplectic rage is well underway. The vein on his forehead is already standing out. That's a bad sign.

 

Sighing, Yuri pulls a pillow over his head and prepares to ignore everything he hears for the next hour.

 

It's going to be a long day.

 

**X**


End file.
